A Closer Look at the Chihuahua
by Laurence Fitt-Savage

Muzzle

The muzzle itself is fairly short; the Chihuahua is a member of the bracycephalic group (large heads and short muzzles).  Ultra short muzzles are not desirable, they can lead to respiratory problems.  Long muzzles are untypical - they spoil the balance of the head, lead to 'foxy' faces with insufficient cheek and stop, often allied to flattened, plain heads.  The muzzle is slightly pointed - flattened muzzles tend to be coarse, or too short (even perhaps with a turned up nose).  The flat muzzle often accompanies an undershot mouth, if too pointed it may indicate an overshot mouth.  A 'definite' stop does not mean the skull is at right angles (90°) to the muzzle.  Given that the muzzle is the horizontal (sloping neither up nor down), then the skull should describe an angle of approx. 100°.  A very short muzzle may appear to be set in the skull, describing an angle less than 90°; a legacy of the flat-faced breeds introduced into chi ancestry to shorten the muzzle (Pugs, Pekes. etc.).  It is potentially a source of breathing problems.

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Skull :: Jaws and Cheeks :: Muzzle :: Bite :: Eyes :: Ears :: Neck :: Forequarters
Shoulder :: Movement :: Balance :: Forehand :: Foreaction :: Musculature
Hindquarters :: Hindaction :: Croup :: Angulation :: Back :: Body Shape :: Chest :: Tail

Reproduced from the British Chihuahua Club Handbook 1987